2026 Wind and Battery Request for Proposals
Objective
Provide independent evaluation, oversight, and regulatory support for Minnesota Power’s 2026 wind and battery RFP processes to procure up to 1,425 MW of clean energy resources. The consultant will review and economically evaluate PPA, BOT, and self-build proposals; support bidder communications, shortlisting, and final selection; assess qualitative and quantitative factors consistent with Minnesota Power’s 2025 Integrated Resource Plan order points; and prepare an independent evaluation report and related support for the regulatory filing seeking approval of selected projects.
Schedule
- Wind RFP Schedule
- Issue RFP in November 2026, evaluations of bids late December 2026–January 2027, provide final selection and petition support with updated evaluation February 2027–December 2027. The schedule could change due to regulatory review of RFP package.
- Battery RFP Schedule
- Issue for Bid November 2026, evaluations of bids late December 2026–January 2027, provide final selection and petition support with updated evaluation February 2027–December 2027. The schedule could change due to regulatory review of RFP package.
Scope and Deliverables
- Attending meetings virtually, as requested, and supporting a bidders virtual meeting.
- Reviewing and economically evaluating Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), Build Own Transfers (BOT) and self-build project bids based on providing lowest cost of energy to MP’s customers and requirements in Minnesota Power’s 2025 Integrated Resource Plan order points.
- Assist in making a list of short-listed bidders.
- Provide economic evaluations of bids as needed during final selection phase.
- Responding to questions that arise from MP’s evaluation team throughout the solicitation process.
- Oversight of MP RFP process from bid submittal to shortlisting. Includes monitoring questions from bidders during the RFP process.
- Provide a written report to be included in the regulatory filing requesting approval of selected bids that includes, overview of conclusion, receipt and evaluation of proposals, description of the quantitative and qualitative evaluation process, short-listing of proposal, report the impact of material delays or changes of circumstances on the bid process, and independent evaluators conclusion.
- Provide support and feedback on the qualitative evaluation of bids.
- Assist in making a list of short-listed bidders.
- Support the independent evaluation report through the regulatory filing requesting.
MP prefers to award this project to bidders that are certified diverse businesses, to the extent permitted by applicable law and consistent with MP’s procurement requirements. For all responses, bidders should provide, if certified as a diverse business, a current copy of the third-party certification received from an industry recognized organization or local/state/federal government. A diverse supplier is defined as a business at least 51% owned and controlled by one of the following types of business: Minority-Owned Business, Women-Owned Business, Veteran-Owned Business, LGBT-Owned Business, Small Economically Disadvantaged Business, and HUB Zone Business and Disability-Owned Enterprise. MP has a preference to procure an independent evaluator from a diverse business.
